Coaster



I. S. LEGGITT April 30, 1940.

GOASTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 30, 1958 ZZZ NVENTOR.

.4 TTORNEYS Ira V 1 April 30, 1940. E n-T 2,198,942

COASTER Filed April so, 1938 2 SheetS-SheetB & Jmmzg zzz IN V EN T 0R.

R BYW ATTORNEYS.

the gear ratio for operation on'the Patented Apr. 30, 1940" a eoAs'rEn 1 a 7 IrafSeIieggitt, I Application April 30,'1938,"SerialN6 205,366

- "2 Claims. .(01. 28 -8731) i I I This invention. relates tto' improvements in vel'ocipedes, andjmore particularly to an occupant propelled coaster, which" is provided with a pivoted operating lever connected tofa suitable train of gears to the rear faxleyof the coaster.

Anobject of my invention is to provide an improved coaster which is formed with a pivoted operating lever connected through a train of gears with the rear axle of thecoaster, whereby the same may be propelled, together with steeringm'eans also'jconnected with the operating lever whereby the coaster. may be manually steered.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved velocipede, which'will be manually op erated and steered, and which will be provided with gear shift means for selectively changing or for operation on hilly ground, ."A still further object ofmy' invention is to 'z'tiprovide an improved velocipede, of the multiple wheeled; occupant so called'type, which may be both steered and propelled by'a single pivoted operating lever. 1 H Another object. of my a "coaster, in which thereis a pivoted operating lever .withja handle baiat the upper end, and suitable foot"'rests.adjacent the lower end of said lever, thejsaid lever being "connected with 1 and through a train of gears, which in turn are connected with the'ie'ar axle;v whereby the coaster may be'fs'tee'red] and propelled. l V,

[A further object of my invention is to provide a r'riproved velocipede, of the coaster type,

i which .will' bemanually propelled; and whichwill befhighly efiicient in operation andquite inexpensive to manufacture.

-.,Other. objects will ,appear 'as the description proceeds.

'Inthe accompanying. drawings which form a part of my application,

Figure 1 is a vertical ,sec'tionail viewl through my improved coaster showing the interconnected I propel-ling and steering mechanism therefor;

Figure 6 is a modification of the steering mechanism.

Like characters of reference are used throughlevel ground H invention is to provide an] improved velocipede, andmorefparticularly view taken on the line view taken on the line out the following specification and the accorn i panyingdrawings to designate corresponding?- p'arts. H I Incarrying out my invention, I provide 2; ve;-

locipede of the self propelled coaster type havinga'body' 1, formed with spaced longitudinally 'ex-. tending slots 2 through which the legs of." the occupant will be placed when ridinguponpt h'e coaster. Thebody l is also provided withfthe side rails 3 and '4 which extend somewhat: above 1W and below the said ,body, and. nearly the full,

length thereof; and also .a connecting plate 1 or back 5, which will be secured to the rear ends of the side rail'siandto the rear end of the saidbody. From Figures 1 and 2 it will be .apparent that 16' th'jside rails and back plate form ai-seat. in conjunction with the body I, whichwill serve" toi prevent the occupant of the coaster f from' falling ofithe same;

Supported below the body I adjacent the rear 2 end thereof, is'a W-shaped metal frame 6, having arms], 8' and .9 respectively. Mounted transversely of the arms 1, 8 and 9, fand heldthereto'l by. the cap bearings Ill is. provided a rear axle ll, which extends through the side rails 3 and 4;

and supports the rear wheels II and i3 'on'the ends. of said axle. Mounted at the forwardjends of the arms "1, v8 and so: the frame'fi, and su ported thereby by means of the cap bearings [4 I haveprovided a crank. IE, on which the slidab-l'e collar I6 is mounted, whichin turn supports the larger gear wheel l8 and the. smaller gear wheel" Ill; The collar l fimay be suitably held on the crank; I5 in any manner, but I have illustrated the; same as being splined to the-crank. The geardshiftlever I9 is pivoted at point lll and" extends through the side rail 3, the upper portion of. the lever being on the outside of the said rail" 3.; whilefthe. lower portion1of' the leveris positioned on the inside of the said railfand is provided. with a, fork 2|, which engages in a re-'; ducedslot 22' on'the end of thecollar [6. A suitable guide or retainer 23 is providedfor the upper end of the. gear shift; lever. Hand is secured to the outside of the side rail 3; adjacent the top thereof, as clearly illustrated in Figures I l and 2 of the drawings. The gear wheels 24 "and 25 are fixed to the axle II, and are adapted to be engaged by the gear wheels and I8, respectively, depending upon the position which the gear shift lever is placed in. When the gear I! engages the gear 24, it will be apparent that the gear train will beplaced in position for operating-the coaster on hilly ground, and when the gear wheel I8 is engaged with the gear wheel 25, the drive is in the proper position for operating the coaster on level ground.

Arranged adjacent the front end of the body I, and extending therethrough, I have provided a pivoted drive or operating lever 26, the same being swivelly mounted at 21 to the body I. A connecting rod 21' is connected between the crank l and through a ball and socket joint 28 to the lower end of the pivoted drive or operating lever, whereby when the operating lever is pulled backward and forced forwardly, the crank will be caused to rotate, thereby transmitting motion to the gears and to the rear axle and rear wheels.

' Suitable foot supports 29 will be supported on the lower end of the operating lever and will 6X.

tend outwardly therefrom in opposite directions, whereby the operator of the coaster may place his feet through the openings 2 and upon the foot supports 29.

Disposed upon theupper end of the operating lever 26 and supported thereby, is provided a collar30 having laterally extending handle bars 3| formed at its upper end, and oppositely disposed or extending extensions 32 formed on its lower end.

Positioned at the forward end ofthe body I, forwardly of the operating lever 26, I have provided a hollow L-shaped bracket 34, which extends through the body I and which is formed at its lower end with a hollow housing. 35 in the lower wall of which is formed the. ar'cuate slot 36.

The front axle 31 supports the Wheels 38 and 39 slot 36 in the hollow housing 35. A vertically positioned steering shaft 42 extends through the hollow bracket 34,.and is bent at right angles'to' extend through the hollow housing 35, and has its terminal end bent downward to extend parallel with the main portion of the said shaft. The

' downwardly turned portion'of the shaft extends through the slotted guide armfll and the arcuate slot 36 in the housing 35. The steering bar 43 comprising oppositely extending arms is secured at the upper end of the steering shaft 42 and has its ends connected with the ends of the opposite extensions 32, provision being made for adjust-- ment by means of the flexible threaded links 44, whereby the steering wheels maybe aligned, to

track with the rear wheels l2 of the velocipede. In Figure 6, I have illustrated a modification of steering mechanism in which the operating lever 30 is provided with the oppositely extending extensions 32 which are connected by the cable 44' passing about a pulley 43' on the steering shaft 42.

.From the foregoing description it will be apparent thatthe mode of operation of myimproved coaster is as follows:

Theoccupant will be seated on the body I and will extend his legs through the leg slots 2 formed through the body, and place his feet on the foot bars or supports 29. By grasping the handle bars and pulling backwardly and pushing forwardly upon the same, motion will be transmitted to the connecting rod and the crank and gear train to the rear axle and wheels. When it is desired to steer the coaster to the right or left, it is only necessary to turn the handle bars to the right or left, the same being connected with the steering bar, will cause the wheels to turn in a corresponding 5 direction.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have devised a highly eflicient and useful form of velocipede, and more particularly an'occupant propelled coaster, which may be propelled jointly by the hands and feet, and. steered by the hands.

Many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a vehicle of the class, described, a body portion,f front and rear, wheels supporting the body, portion, a hollow bracket secured to the body. portion,a hollow housing formed integral with the lower endof the bracket, the bottom of the housing having an arcuate-shaped slot formed therein, an axle for the front wheels, a depending 'stub' ,shaft providing a king bolt, formed on the housing'and extending through an opening in saidaxle, a slotted guidearm extending an appreciable distance forwardly from said axle and having a slot extendingfinwardly from the free end thereof, a steering shaft disposed within the hollow bracket and having a forwardly extended portion disposed within the housing, the end ofthe forwardly extended end portion operating withinthe' slot of the housing and slot of the guide arm, and means for operating said steering shaft whereby the front wheels may be operated to guide the 'Velocip'ede.

2.? In a vehicleof. the class described, a body portion; front and rear supporting wheels for the body portion, a hollow bracket secured to the body portion, a housing at the lower end of said bracket, said housing having an arcuate-shaped slot in' the bottom thereof and disposed trans-' versel'y of the housing, a guiding post within the hollow bracket, said post having a forwardly extended lower end portion" disposed within the housing, the extremity of the forwardly extended portion being disposed downwardly through the slot in the housing, an axle for the front wheels pivoted to the hollow bracket, a guide'armsecured .to the axle and having a slot, the downwardly extended extremity of said guiding post operating within the slot of the guide arm, and adapted to transmit'movement. of the guiding post to the front axle, and wheels guiding the vehicle when the guiding post is operated.

IRAS. LEGGI'IT. 

